New strategy for the feeding control of suckling and weaning calves: coexistence of animal health, growth performance and forage feeding

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K05959
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 42010:Animal production science-related
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Haga Satoshi 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 畜産研究部門, 主任研究員 (90442748)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 子ウシ / 離乳 / 初期発育 / 哺乳 / スターター / 代謝インプリンティング / 粗飼料 / 器官発達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The nutrition in calves period can affect the longterm performance of cattle, with concomitant development of absorption and metabolic functions as ruminants. Therefore, we made a new feeding concept that give the ability of early adaptation of forage feeding and high growth performance of calves for the high-performance dairy cows by forage feeding or grazing system in Japan. In the present study, we can show the results that high growth performance and the differences in the organ size and tissue functional gene expressions of calves in weaning period. These results indicated that this concept, forage starter, have a potential for a new feeding system that give the ability of early adaptation of forage feeding and high growth performance of calves for the high-performance dairy cows by forage feeding or grazing in Japan.

Free Research Field

家畜栄養生理学、家畜衛生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

世界の人口増加および気候変動による穀物生産の不安定化や食糧不足など、輸入穀物に大きく依存した国内畜産を取り巻く情勢は世界的に大きく変化しています。その一方で、土地基盤型の自給粗飼料多利用飼養や放牧飼養は持続的な生産体系として大きく期待され、これからの日本型畜産のキーテクになり得ます。そのためには、このような飼養法にマッチした体質を持つ乳牛をどのように作出していくかが重要であり、そのために本研究では、幼児期の栄養条件が代謝生理機能や器官形成に作用し生涯の体質まで決定し得る、という医療概念DOHaDを応用した技術開発を試みています。